Salafist fatwa warns Egyptians not to watch World Cup, angering fans
The former head of the Salafist Nour Party instructed listeners not to watch World Cup matches.
CAIRO — A Salafist sheikh in Egypt has banned watching soccer matches as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is in full swing.
The former head of the Salafist Nour Party, Younes Makhyoun, said in a Nov. 27 Facebook video that “watching the World Cup matches is a waste of time, and Muslims will be held accountable for the hours they wasted on the Day of Judgment.”
He added, “Soccer also creates animosity between people cheering for different teams.”
Makhyoun asked, “What is the benefit of watching soccer games?” He criticized soccer fans for idolizing players such as Lionel Messi and added, “We do not take pride in an Arab country that organized the World Cup and spent billions of dollars on the event. We hope that other fields would be a source of pride for us, like the manufacturing of a nuclear bomb, as Iran has been doing.”
